E-governance will improve delivery of services: Omar

Pilot Says Rs 40 Cr Sanctioned For CSC Project In JK

Srinagar, Oct 26: Terming e-governance as a key tool in bringing transparency in the mechanism, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Friday noted that IT-based initiatives will help ensuring speedy delivery of services.“This will also give considerable fillip to ensure prompt delivery of public services,” Omar said while speaking about importance of information technology in strengthening e-governance.He was addressing a function in Ganderbal near here after jointly launching the National Common Service Centres (CSCs) Outreach Programme with Union Minister Sachin Pilot.Noting that his government has taken a slew of measures to ensure technology-based delivery of services, Omar said initiatives like e-tendering and e-procurement in various departments have upgraded the quality of service and brought more transparency in functioning.Omar said CSCs, known as Khidmat centres in the state, will get strengthened by this programme and help providing services like ration card, state subject, death and birth certificates, driving licenses and revenue papers in a hassle-free manner.The Chief Minister asserted that the IT initiatives will also help in effective execution of the Public Service Guarantee Act which aims at providing services in a time-bound manner.Omar thanked the Centre for helping the state in strengthening its IT Sector, and expressed hope that the data centre being established established by the state with its assistance will be launched soon.The Chief Minister said IT is being utilised for strengthening the health sector and develop linkage of J&K's health institutions with other reputed establishments in the country and abroad.“We have to move fast in the sector to upgrade it and utilise IT initiatives to keep pace with other states and obtain maximum benefits of the modern technology," he said.Tele-conferences on medicine and remote surgery utilising IT methods are few initiatives introduced in the state, Omar added.Speaking on the occasion, Pilot said that Common Service Centers are a crucial part of National e-Governance project which is a major initiative for improving the quality of basic governance concerning common man.Pilot said Rs 40 crore has been sanctioned for Common Service Centre (CSC) project in Jammu and Kashmir to support the state government in its e-Governance initiative.“We are committed to fully support e-Governance initiatives of Jammu and Kashmir government and Rs 40 crore has been sanctioned for CSC project in the state,” Pilot said after the launch of CSCs outreach programme from Ganderbal in Central Kashmir.He said one lakh CSCs across the country are providing various government services to the people which including birth, death, domicile, caste, income certificates, MGNREGA payments, computer courses, financial services, online railway and airline ticket booking.The Minister announced that an extension center of National Institute of Electronics and IT will shortly be opened in Leh. It would have the Capacity to train 50 students at a time, he added.He said 16 educational institutions have been identified for connection to the National Knowledge Network for shared learning and high quality collaborative research and e-learning. He said of these, 10 have already been connected and the rest are in the process of connection. He said government Medical College Srinagar, Central University of Kashmir and Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology would be integrated into NKN by November end where as Central University at Jammu, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology for Kashmir, and Defense Institute of High Altitude Research at Leh would be connected by December.The function was also addressed by the Minister for Forests, Mian Altaf Ahmed and Union Joint Secretary Dr. Kumar while various officers of the State and Centre Government were present on the occasion.

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